title: MIG (CXCL9) is a more sensitive measure than IFN-gamma of vaccine induced T-cell responses in volunteers receiving investigated malaria vaccines.
abstract: For many years the IFN-gamma ex vivo ELISPOT has been a major assay for assessing human T-cell responses generated by malaria vaccines. The ELISPOT assay is a sensitive assay, but an imperfect correlate of protection against malaria. Monokine induced by gamma (MIG), or CXCL9, is a chemokine induced by IFN-gamma and has the potential to provide amplification of the IFN-gamma signal. MIG secretion could provide a measure of bio-active IFN-gamma and a functional IFN-gamma signalling pathway. We report that detecting MIG by flow cytometry and by RT-PCR can be more sensitive than the detection of IFN-gamma using these methods. We also find that there is little inter-individual variability in MIG secretion when detected by flow cytometry and that the MIG assay may be used to estimate the amount of bio-active IFN-gamma present. Measurement of MIG alongside IFN-gamma may provide a fuller picture of Th1 type responses post-vaccination.
authors.affiliation: University of Oxford, Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7LJ, UK.
authors.forename: Tamara K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Berthoud
authors.forename: Susanna J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Dunachie
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Todryk
authors.forename: Adrian V S
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Helen A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D020126:Brefeldin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D054370:Chemokine CXCL9 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D017780:Malaria Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C080810:CXCL9 protein, human; D054370:Chemokine CXCL9; D017780:Malaria Vaccines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D020126:Brefeldin A; D007371:Interferon-gamma